Several years ago while on a Baltic cruise, my family and I enjoyed a two-day stop in beautiful St. Petersburg. Since it was Russia, I naturally expected to see some vodka.
Here's what I didn't expect: My sons, then 17 and 13, were continually offered...

"If I were a horse, someone would shoot me out of compassion," I said to no one in particular. I was lying on the living room floor seeking relief from an aching back. Two months earlier, clear air turbulence had nearly ended my career as an L.A.-based...

County health officials briefly shut down Zov's restaurant in Irvine on Wednesday after diners were sickened by a bacteria traced to the location, authorities said.
Four people who ate at Zov's between Sept. 16 and 22 were infected with shigella, a form...

The bohemian chic Babette's Restaurant first opened in East Hampton on Long Island some 20 years ago and became one of the most popular eateries there. After many years of catering to the trendy islander set, it opened its second location on the West...

When all is said and done, when the last exclamation of "Sold!" rings out Saturday night at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, Paul Frechette will be left with a bittersweet feeling.
The sweet part, of course, will be the conclusion of the Surfboards on Parade campaign, which aims to raise thousands of dollars for charity. The bitter part, though, will be having to part with the eight surfboards that have decorated the lobby and restaurant of the Shorebreak Hotel, where Frechette serves as general...

The Corona del Mar Home Tour, the Corona del Mar High School PTA's only annual fundraiser, will take place Tuesday and feature seven homes, including the owners of Roger's Gardens' Cameo Shores home.
Tickets are $75, and include breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien from 8 to 10 a.m., lunch at Sherman Library & Gardens from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and an afternoon reception at Bliss Home & Design from 4 to 6 p.m.
This year's tour features the home of Kerry and Gavin Herbert, owners of Roger's Gardens in Corona...

Here he grows again.
Clayton Peterson, the Costa Mesa native who took over a 1940s industrial building on the west side of town to record local bands, showcase his personal art collection and host a private venue, is now hoping to liven up the space with an urban bar and restaurant at 17th Street and Pomona Avenue.
Boathouse Collective relaunched as a restaurant Wednesday. Peterson hopes the site will become a happy-hour, lunch and dinner hangout for the downtown crowd, gathering the community to...

RIVERSIDE — Here in Hunter Hobby Park, balls, bats, playground slides and steaming locomotives share common ground.
The different users coexist and, apparently, get along in a space that works for everyone.
For some, this is the vision for Costa Mesa's Fairview Park, whose roughly 45-acre southeast quadrant is primarily occupied by the Orange County Model Engineers and the group's ridable trains.
But others have far different goals for Fairview Park: Leave the trains but otherwise keep the park...

Grand opening set for Island Hotel gourmet collection
The Island Hotel in Newport Beach will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. Wednesday to introduce its gourmet Market Place in the hotel's renovated lobby.
Tastes of some of the house specialties at the Market Place will be offered, along with a preview of locally produced products available there.
The Market Place will feature pastries and other sweets, sandwiches, salads, sushi, fresh fruit and vegetables, wines, craft beers and more.
The...

I recently had a delicious dinner at a small Korean restaurant in a mall in Irvine. The restaurant is called Tang 190. The word "tang" means soup, and 190 stands for the ideal temperature for eating Korean soup.
I think most people are more familiar with Korean barbecue-style restaurants than those that feature soups as the main dish. Mind you, these soups are very hearty. The menu here features 10 different kinds of soup as well as a variety of other dishes.
Traditionally, your food arrives with a...

Dr. Jenni Martin looked at her computer screen and pointed to the videotaped golfer as he hit a ball.
"That guy is a good golfer," Martin said as she folded her arms. "But he's losing power. I have to get him to stretch his pecs."
It's that type of advice that can help older golfers who are looking to improve or just maintain their skills.
Martin, a Newport Beach resident who just moved back from Sacramento after 30 years, is traveling to Southern California golf courses in her fitness trailer to...